Fluid circulating dental drill and bit



May 25,` 1948.

J. E. BRANTLY ETAL v `FLUID CIRCULATING DENTAL DRILL AND BIT Filed July 28, 1945 O-H/v SQ/,w74 y, MALCLM 15. Eon/5.9.5;

I N VEN TORS.

ATTO/@NEX will Patented May 25, 1943 FLUID CIRCULATING DENTAL DRILL AND BIT John E. Brantly, Athens, and Malcolm B. Bowers, Dallas, Tex.

Application July 28, 1945, Serial No. 6075550 Claims.

This invention has to do generally with improvements in rotary dental drills, and particularly to the maintenance of fluid delivery to the drill `bit during operation of the tool.

Heretofore it has been proposed to discharge fluid, such as water, to a dental drill by such expedients as a fluid delivery tube arranged or mountedv exteriorly on the rotary drilling tool proper. Such proposals Vhave numerous objectionable features and limitations, among which are the inconveniences resulting from the cumbersome bulk and `arrangement of the assembly, and the .inability to direct the fluid to best advantage against or through .the bit.

The primary object of the invention is to provide for fluid circulation or delivery through the body of the drilling tool itself, and for the most efcient direction of the uid to the working region of the bit, either or both at the outside of the drill, and through the drill stem and bit itself. More particularly, the invention aims to accomplish fluid delivery to the bit in a manner such that the fluid is discharged from the drill end of the body, through one or more passages which enable the fluid to be impinged against the outside of the bit; the fluid also, or optionally, being deliverable to the bit through a circulation passage in the drill.

In accordance with the invention, the drilling tool may be made to comprise a tubular body containing a rotatably driven shaft, and connected with a fluid source from which the fluid is conducted through a body passage outside the shaft to be discharged optionally or simultaneously at the outside of and through the drill. As will appear, the tool is adapted to the use of a solid stem drill, in which event the fluid discharge occurs only at the outside of the bit, or to a drill containing a .passage permitting fluid delivery through the stem and bit.

I'he invention generally contemplates delivery to the 'bit or its working area, of any desired iiuids, depending upon the particular purposes which they are intended to serve` For example, the fluid may consist of water, or liquid or gaseous medicines, antiseptics or anesthetics, properly temperature conditioned, i. e., preheated or precooled.

The invention will be further understood and explained by reference to the following description of certain typical embodiments illustrated by the accompanying drawing, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a cross-section View illustrating one form of the invention containing a solid stem drill;

Fig. 2 is a view showing a form of substitute drill provided with iiuid circulation passages;

and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a variational embodiment of the invention.

Referring to Fig.V 1, the drill assembly is shown to comprise a tubular body I0 having the usual type of rod support Il permitting the tool to be bodily manipulated. Although it may be made in one or any number of sections, the body is shown to comprise two sections I2 and I3 interconnected at the threaded joint I4. A rotating drive shaft I5 extends centrally through the body and has a suitable lubricated bearing I6 between packings at I1 and I8, the latter being contained within the gland or bushing I9 threaded into the upper end of the body. The shaft carries a pulley 20 driven in the usual manner by belt 2 I. Fluid leakage past the lower portion of the shaft is prevented by packing 22 contained within the threaded pin end 23 of the body.

The intermediate portion of the shaft is spaced from the body to provide a fluid passage 2li through which liquid or gaseous fluid, of the character hereinabove mentioned, is discharged from hose `25, the latter connecting with a suitable supply source 25 under control of valves 2l and ZIB. The uid is discharged from passage 2d through passages 29 in the body and passages 29 and 38 in the lower body or head section 3|. The passage I29 is of annular configuration to afford communication between passages 2i) and passages 30 irrespective of the rotative relationship between body and head. The nozzle cap 32 threaded on the lower end of the head and containing openings `33 registerable with passages 3l), is rotatably adjustable to vary and control the form or pattern of the fluid streams being discharged against the bit.

Fig. 1 shows the shaft I5 to be threadedly connected at 34 with a solid stem drill 35 carrying a suitable form of bit 3%. Thus, when a solid drill is used, fluid ilow to the bit occurs only through passages 3s, the drill closing oi circulatio-n through passage 3l inthe shaft itself. As illustrated, the fluid streams are discharged from passages 3i) in converging streams impinging against the outer face of the bit, thus effectively washing (e. g., when using water as the circulating fluid) away the cuttings continuously from the surface or cavity being drilled, or otherwise applying a treating fluid directly to the working region of the bit. The discharged uid of course may cool the tooth and also effectively cool the drill bit, a matter of importance in extending its life in sharpened condition.

It may also be desirable to maintain iluid discharge to the bit through the drill itself. For this purpose, We may use the type of drill shown in Fig. 2 wherein the stem 38 contains a longitudinal passage 3S from which the fluid is discharged through laterals d in the bit. By re-` placing drill 35 with the tubular form of Fig. 2, the shaft and drill passages 3l and 39 are placed in communication for the maintenance of con-f1 tinuous flow through the drill,hsimultanerouslyM with the fluid discharge through the body pas- AI sages 3D. Provision of the ported cap 32 also permits selectivity of the fluid discharge inthat by. closing the cap (tighteningit beyond the por@Y registering position) the fluid ,dischargegoocursw A only through the drill, whereas otherwise thedis-=Y Y charge occurs through both passages 3l] and 39:

Fig. 3 illustrates an adaptation of the inven-V -tion toa to-ol designed for angular extent of the drill .relativetothe body and drive shaft. Here the head 4U had a bottom portion d! eX- tending angularly with relation to the body d2 and driver-shaft 43 and Vcontaining the drillY dll.Y The drillmay be rotated by any suitable flexible or universal connection withrthe shaft d3, as for example throughV the conventionally illustrated universal-joint 45 connected at d6 and 4l respecv tively to the shaft and` drill. VFluid ,discharge to the bit 48 occurs through passages 39, IBD, and 5l), the-"form of the streams being controllable as before, bythe ported adjustable nozzle cap 5l.

It will be understood that the drawings are to be regarded as illustrative ofthe invention in the A-descri-bed typical embodiments, and that l various changes and modicationsmay be made without departure from the invention in its intended spiritand scope VVVeclaiIna-v-f Y 1. In a dental-drill, a body including a tubular section, a rotatable drive shaft within said sectionrandY spacedtherefrom-to form aV fluid passage, `means'forsupplying fluidA to said passage so that the fluid is discharged therethrough during Vvdrilling, said body also including a head threadedon the Yend-:of said section about the shaft, `means' preventing fluid leakageV between said shaftand the body, means forming a duct by`vvay Yofwhichfriluid is discharged `from said passage through and. beyond the end of the head, and an-annular rotatably adjustable ported cap -onthehead for varying the form of the fluid stream so discharged.

2.- Ina dental drill, a tubular body, a rotatab-le drive shaft-within the Abody,'a drill comprising a means for.. simultaneously discharging fluid' from withinA tl'iebpdyb toV the b it, throughY 'a passage i inthe drill stern continuously during drilling'.`

73, E1n adental drill, a tubular body, a rotatable drive shaftrrwithin the body, a drill comprising astern and bit Adriven by said shaft, means forming a passage for conducting fluid through said body and for discharging the iluid during drilling to said bit at the outside of the drill stem, means for simultaneously discharging fluid from 5 within the body to the bit through a passage in the drill stem continuously during drilling, and means on the body for selectively opening and closing said discharge ofyiluid at the outside of the drill stem. Y l0 4. In a dental drill, a body including a tubular Y section, a rotatable4 drive shaft within said sec- WtionY and spaced therefrom to form a iluid passage, means for" continuously forcing fluid through said passage during drilling, means formingin the drive-shaft a uid duct commuf-nicating with said passage, and means on the end of said 4shaft for attaching atubular drill thereto, said drill containing ducts for discharging fluid continuously during drilling.

5. In a dental drill, a tubular body section, a rotatable drive shaft within the bodysection andi spacedtherefrom to form a fluid passage, means ,forcontinuously supplying fluid to said `passage so that v,the fluid `is discharged therethrough during drilling, la head section attached to Qneend of the .body having a surface contacting an opposing surface on the body, a drill having abit and agstem extending within a bore in the head section and attached to said shaft,

packing means in the head preventing fluid leak-VV age from said passage about the drill stem, a duct in thebody section spaced outwardly from said drill receiving bore for conducting fluid from said main body passage through the head contacting surface of thejbody, aduct in the head spaced outwardly from said packing means for conducting iiuidffrom said. body duct to the end of the headfrom which iluid is ejected to impinge near -thebit during drilling, and anannular uid carrying duct in one of said sections communicating betweensaid body duct and said head duct irrespectiveof the rotative relations said sections. y

' JOHN E. BRANTLY.

MALCOLM Bi. BOWERS.

Y REFERENoEs'oITED The following referenc o le of this patent:

hip between es 'are of record in the UNITED PATENTS Number N anife'.V l Date 189,409 VVilkerson Apr. 10, 1877 1,039,728 Gilmore Oct. 1, 1912 1,539,637 Bronner May 26, 1925 2,124,831 RoosY July 26, 1938 2,226,145 Smith Dec. 24, "1940 Y K H Y FOREIGN PATENTS .Number Y vCountry Date v 11,5112 Y ,Great Britain May 9, 1914 391,437VV y Great Britain Oct. 12, 1931 430,111 Germany June 9, 1,926 

